Summer’s not over yet. We’re still enjoying the beach, the sun and more importantly for us foodies, the icy treats. As you indulge in your tasty ice cream cone, don’t you feel a twinge of guilt that our baby can’t enjoy one as well? Fortunately there are plenty of alternatives that your baby is sure to love.

Before we get into some ideas, let’s talk about why giving baby ice cream isn’t such a good idea. For one, ice cream contains a huge amount of sugar and many brands have artificial flavors and coloring. Ice cream from trucks and other dispensing machines may not be safe to eat and cause illness due to contamination of equipment. You’ll also have to watch out for allergens such as peanuts.

One way to bypass these concerns is to make your baby a frozen dessert at home. Our favorite option is to freeze your baby’s favorite fruits and mash or blend them. To make a popsicle, freeze slices of watermelon and push popsicle sticks through them. Here’s a simple banana recipe that is very similar in consistency to ice cream: